Agitating apparatus for flocculating tanks or the like



Oct. 18, 1966 J. c. GIBBS 3,279,764

'AGITATING APPARATUS FOR FLOCCULATING TANKS OR THE LIKE Filed April 29, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JOHN caress BY wdflm ATTORNEY.

Oct. 18, 1966 J. c. GIBBS 3,279,764

'AGI'IATING APPARATUS FOR FLOCCULATING TANKS OR THE LIKE Filed April 29, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

JOHN c. GIBBS BY 7450M 2%flh ATTORNEY.

Oct. 18, 1966 J. c. GIBBS 3,279,764

AGITATING APPARATUS FOR FLOCCULATING TANKS OR THE LIKE Filed April 29, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

JOH N C. 6| 8 BY dfim an ATTORNEY.

Oct. 18, 1966 J. c. GIBBS 3,279,764

'AGITATING APPARATUS FOR FLOCCULATING TANKS OR THE LIKE Filed April 29, 1964 45heets-Sheet 4 .3 PHASE POW ER SUPPLY INVENTOR. JOHN C. GIBBS AT ORN EY.

United States Patent 3,279,764 AGITATING APPARATUS FOR FLOCCULATING TANKS OR THE LIKE John C. Gibbs, 301 Bridge St., Stamford, Conn. Filed Apr. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 363,541 18 Ciaims. (Cl. 2.59--99) This invention relates to liquid agitating apparatus such as may be employed in the purification treatment of liquids, for example, the flocculating treatment of suspended solids or turbidity in liquids by mechanical agitation, preferably carried out with the aid of coagulating chemicals or the like, whereby these suspended solids are rendered in the form of settleable flocs subsequently to be removed from the liquid as by sedimentation or filtration.

Such liquids to be treated or purified, for example, may comprise raw water, sewage, trade wastes, or any liquids from which it is desired to remove suspended solids by Way of a flocculation operation or the like with or wit-hout the aid of chemicals.

More particularly, the invention relates to agitating mechanism applicable to the horizontal and preferably elongate throughflow type of flocculation treatment tank through which the liquid or water passes from end to end while being subjected to the flooculating effect of the agitating mechanism.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved agitating apparatus or mechanism which consists of an especially light and inexpensive construction readily applicable to a large variety of tank sizes.

The above stated object is attainable by means of an agitating mechanism featuring flexible agitating means or a system or bank of flexible linear agitating elements each of which may consist of an element of flexible although tough material, for example, a ribbon of thin gauge steel or of plastic material such as nylon or the like. These ribbon elements endwise suspended are moveable up and down in the liquid at a relatively slow flocculationinducing rate of speed.

The present invention is based upon the concept that winding means he provided whereby the flexible agitating means or ribbon elements are moved up and down in the body of liquid in the tank. By such an arrangement relatively slow u-p-and-down flocculating motion may be imparted to the flexible agitating means, even though by relatively fast rotation of the winding member. A relative minimum of gear reduction is thus required in the drive gear unit or the like.

Apparatus according to the invention comprises flexible agitating means extending in a body of liquid in the tank between opposite walls thereof, and adapted to assume catenary configuration. Supporting means are provided adjacent one said wall for supporting one end portion of the agitating means. Winding means are mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said agitating means, adjacent the wall opposite the first mentioned wall. Flexible draft means are provided for transmitting motion from the winding means to the agitating means. Therefore, one end of the draft means has a connection with the winding means, and means are provided for operatively connecting the other end of the draft means to the other end of the agitating means, so that when the winding means are rotated in one direction, the agitating means are raised, and when rotated in the opposite direction, the agitating means are lowered.

In one embodiment of this invention, one end of the flexible agitating means or ribbon elements are attached to a transverse element or cross bar which in turn has suitable flexible draft means, for instance parallel rope elements or the like connecting it to the winding means for winding and unwinding them thereon. Thus, by winding the rope elements through a predetermined number of revolutions of the shaft, the cross bar is raised as far as is necessary to raise the agitating elements themselves until they form a shallow caternary or the like relatively close to the liquid level in the tank. Similarly, unwinding the rope elements through a predetermined number of revolutions of the shaft, will lower the cross bar until the flexible assembly, that is the agitating elements or ribbons together with the rope elements will assume a shape or condition sutficiently slack to substantially conform or adapt themselves to the inner vertical contour of the tank. The weight of the cross bar, and of an additional weighting bar attached to the ribbon elements spaced from the opposite end thereof will aid in establishing this condition.

Preferably, control means are provided for automatically reversing the rotation of the winding means after a predetermined number of revolutions in each direction.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or of forms that are their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a horizontal throughflow treatment tank with a sidewall broken away, showing one embodirnent of the agitating mechanism of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tank and agitating mechanism, taken on line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged detail plan view taken on line 3-3 of the winding mechanism including reversible actuating means therefor, comprising a shaft member with rope winding means mounted thereon;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional detail view of the rope winding means on the shaft;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the rope winding means taken on line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged detail view taken on line 66 of FIG. 2, showing the draft connection for the flexible agitating elements;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the draft means, taken on line 77 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the draft means taken on line 88 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 shows a wiring diagram for automatically reversing the actuating means.

The liquid agitating mechanism or apparatus of this invention, exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2, is mounted on a horizontal throughflow type of liquid treatment tank 10.

The tank has a bottom 11 and side walls 12 and 13. The tank is herein shown to have an influent end 14 at the left, and an eflluent end 15 at the right of the drawing. However, if desired, the throughflow direction of the liquid may be from the right to the left. In the present example, the influent end 14 comprises an end wall 14a having a series of influent passages 16 communicating with an influent distributing chamber 17 connecting to the influent channel 18. The eflluent end 15 comprises an end wall 19 having a series of effluent passages 20 communicating with an effluent collecting chamber 21 connecting with effluent channel 22. A drainage connection 22a in the tank bottom has normally closed valve means not shown.

The agitating mechanism, in the present example, is in the form of a duplex arrangement comprising a first flexible agitating means 23 preferably an assembly of flexible linear parallel agitating elements E consisting of flat thin tough strip material, and a second substantially similar agitating means 24. One end of each assembly of strip elements is supported upon or adjacent to one end wall, for example, by clamping means indicated at 25. The other ends of the strip elements are attached to a cross bar 26.

Each cross bar has attached to it suitable flexible draft means, for instance a pair of rope elements 28 and 28a. The ends of the rope elements in turn are fastened to a winding mechanism for alternatingly winding and unwinding or drawing-in and paying-out the rope elements of the flexible assembly, thereby alternatingly raising and lowering the flexible agitating elements or strips themselves in the body of liquid in the tank.

A winding mechanism, as herein exemplified, for the aforementioned rope elements, comprises a horizontally extending shaft member 27 mounted for rotation adja cent the other end wall of the tank. The rope elements of the respective flexible assemblies are attached to this shaft member in such a manner that rotating the shaft member alternatingly in opposite directions will move the respective sets of flexible agitating elements so that when the one set moves up, the other set is moving down, and vice versa.

Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, it will be seen that the linear flexible agitating elements proper have an effective length such that these elements will substantially assume the shape S-1 corresponding substantially to the lowermost or paid-out position, while assuming the shape S2 corresponding substantially to the uppermost or drawn-in position. A second cross bar or weighting bar 28b is clamped to each respective set of linear agitating elements suitably spaced from the cross bar 26.

More in particular, as shown in the detail FIGURES 3 to 7, the shaft member 27 comprises a hollow tubular main section 29 the ends of which have fitted therein and fixed thereto terminal stub shaft sections 30 and 31 mounted in journal bearings 32, 32a, and 33 respectively atop the tank.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, mounted upon the hollow main section 29 are rope winding:.-sleeves or winch members 34 for the respective draft members or rope elements. These winch members are split into halves, H-1 and H-2 bolted together tight upon the hollow section 29 of the shaft member. Blocks B-1 and B2 fixed to hollow section 29 prevent any rotational displacement of the winch members upon the shaft.

The other end of the rope elements are connected to cross bar 34d here shown as a structural member of angular profile. Both the rope elements and the agitating elements or ribbons are fastened to the horizontal shank h of the profile as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8. The rope elements have a terminal clevis member 34a fastened to the horizontal shank by means of pin 34 The ribbon elements E are fastened to the horizontal shank H by means of clamping elements 34g or the like.

Reversible power drive means for the shaft member comprise a gear motor unit 42 mounted on platform P and power transmitting means 43, disposed at one end of the shaft member.

The other end of the shaft member has operatively connected therewith a limit switch device D or the like for automatically controlling the drive motor in such a manner as to reverse the same after a predetermined number of revolutions of the shaft member. This device is settable for efiecting the drive reversal after a desired number of revolutions of the shaft in each direction; to effect alternately raising and lowering the flexible agitating elements.

A revolution controlled reversal switch device for the present purpose is here schematically indicated to comprise a worm member 44 rotating with the shaft member, while engaging a worm gear 45. The worm gear carries adjustably mounted thereon a pair of actuator fingers 46 and 47 adjustably spaced from one another. When the worm gear is rotated in the direction of arrow A, the actuator finger 46 will cause a switch member 48 to close upon a contact 49, thus establishsing circuit which causes the motor to be reversed to rotate in the opposite direction. Similarly, thereupon with the worm gear rotating in direction B, when the other actuator finger 47 causes a switch member 50 to close upon a contact 51, this in turn will establish circuits whereby the drive motor is again reversed.

Referring to the wiring diagram in FIG. 9, the reversal of drive at each end limit of shaft rotation is effected by momentary closure of the appropriate limit switches 48, 49 and 50, 51 upon the associated contacts, which in turn appropriately momentarily energizes the relay switch 24' to determine by operation of reversing switch 25' in which direction on the current shall fiow along the power lines 26, 27 and 28 to the motor 42. In the reversing switch 25 are two solenoid controlled switches 29' and 30 each embodying three contact members and each actuated by its solenoid coil 31 and 32 respectively. As shown in FIG. 9, the circuit being set for the shaft to rotate in one direction corresponding to arrow A on switch device D, will at the end of this rotation close limit switch 48, 49. This causes current to flow through the solenoid controlled switch 29' which is held closed by its solenoid coil 32, to which current flows from the power line 26' through the lines 33', 34', 35' to solenoid coil 32- and therefrom through the line 36', and the closed relay switch contact 37 and line 38 to complete the circuit through to the power line 28'. When the shaft has reached the end of rotation in direction A and momentarily closes the limit switch 48, 49, current flows from the power line 26 through lines 33, 34, and 39' to the solenoid coil 40' of the relay switch 24 and therefrom through the line 41, closed relay switch contact 42, line 43, through the momentarily closed limit switch 48, 49 and then through lines 45 and 38' to the power line 28'. The resulting energizat-ion of the solenoid coil 40 of the relay switch is adapted to project the reversing control relay switch 47 upwardly from the position in which it is shown in FIG. 9, so that the circuit hitherto flowing through the closed contact member 37' is broken, thus opening the current path between the line 36' and 38 with consequent de-energization of the hitherto operative reversing switch solenoid coil 32'. In the upwardly projected position, however, the contact 48 of the reversing control relay switch 24' energizes the coil 31' of the solenoid controlled switch 30', so that current flows thereto from the lines 26 and 49' and therefrom through the line 50', the then closed contact 48' and lines 51' and 38' to complete the circuit through to the power line 28. With the circuit now operative in that manner the solenoid controlled switch 30' of reversing switch 25' is closed and the previously closed switch-29' is now opened because its solenoid coil is deenergized and in consequence current then flows to the motor 42 to drive it in the reverse direction, with the result that the shaft rotation will be reversed.

Operatively connected with current reverse control relay switch plunger 47' through a mechanical interlock is a current reverse control relay switch plunger 52'.

In FIG. 9 the mechanical interlock is represented by the pivoted lever 53' interconnecting the two switch plungers 47 and 52 and the arrangement is essentially such that when the switch plunger 47 is in its upwardly projected position the switch plunger 52 is in its lower position and vice versa.

The mechanical interlock operates to ensure that energization of the solenoid 40 is momentary only, and in that respect it will be noted that in the circuit as shown with reference to FIG. 9 the current path to the solenoid 40' depended upon the circuit between the lines 41' and 43' being completed through the closed contact 42'. However, the interlock ensures that with upward projection of the relay switch plunger 47, the relay switch plunger 52' moves downwardly opening the circuit between the lines 41' and 43', thus ensuring only momentary energization of the solenoid coil 40'.

The shaft continues its rotation corresponding to arrow B on switch device D until limit switch 50, 51 closes. Then the shaft reverses its direction of rotation to arrow A on switch device D, until limit switch 48, 49 is closed when it again reverses its direction of rotation.

At this point it is important to realize that the downward movement of the relay switch plunger 52', opening of the energizing circuit to the coil 40' by downward movement of the contact 42', results in an alternative circuit being completed by a contact 54 on the plunger 52, which contact 54' connects one pole of the limit switch 50, 51 through the line 55, with the solenoid coil 58' through the line 57'. With the other side of the coil 58 connected to the line 26' through the lines 39, 34', 33 the circuit is ready to be completed to reverse the direction of shaft rotation again when the limit switch 50, 51 is closed by the rotation of the shaft on reaching the limit of its movement in direction B, which completion simply involves bridging the contacts of the switch 50, 51 to permit current to flow from the line 55 to a line 45' and therefrom through line 38 to the power line 28'. Whereupon the circuit is restored to the condition shown in FIG. 9.

The reference numeral 61 denotes a control switch shown closed during operation, which can be opened to stop the operation, rendering the control circuit incomplete, inasmuch as either one or the other of the reversing switches 29' or 30' is operated only when its respective solenoid is energized. Thus, when the circuit is broken by control switch 61, both coils 30 and 32' in reversing switch 25 are de-energized and the power circuit to the motor 42 is thereby interrupted.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find useful application in other types of agitating apparatus differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an agitating mechanism wherein the flexible agitating means are moved up-and-down by the winding and unwinding operation, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made wthout departing from the spirit of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In a horizontal throughflow type of liquid treatment tank having walls, agitating apparatus which comprises flexible agitating means extending in a body of liquid in the tank between opposite walls thereof, support-ing means adjacent one said wall for supporting one end portion of said agitating means, and operating means connected to the other end of said flexible agitating means adjacent to the opposite said wall for alternatingly drawing-in and paying-out said flexible means, thus moving said agitating means up and down in said body of liquid.

2. In a horizontal throughflow type of liquid treatment tank having Walls, an agitating apparatus which comprises flexible agitating means extending in a body of liquid in the tank between opposite walls thereof, supporting means adjacent one said wall for supporting one end portion of said agitating means, winding means mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis adjacent and substantially parallel to the opposite of said wall, and having the opposite end of said flexible agitating means connected therewith, and actuating means for rotating said winding means alternatingly in opposite directions, thereby alternatingly drawing-in and paying-out said flex-ible agitating means, thus moving said agitating means up and down in said body of liquid.

3. In a horizontal throughflow type of liquid treatment tank having walls, an agitating apparatus which comprises flexible agitating means extending in a body of liquid in the tank between opposite walls thereof, supporting means adjacent one said wall for supporting One end portion of said agitating means, a cross bar attached to the other end of said flexible agitating means, flexible draft means extending from said cross bar, winding means connected to said draft means adjacent the opposite of said wall, and actuating means for rotating said winding means alternatingly in opposite directions, thereby alternatingly drawing-in and paying-out said draft means, thus moving said agitating means up and down in said body of liquid.

4-. The agitating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said flexible draft means comprise linear flexible elements.

5. The agitating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said flexible draft means comprise rope elements.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the flexible agitating means comprise substantially parallel linear elements consisting of flat strip material, with clamping means for fastening the respective ends of said elements to said cross bar.

7. In a horizontal throughflow type of liquid treatment tank having walls, an agitating apparatus which comprises flexible agitating means extending in a body of liquid in the tank between opposite walls thereof, supporting means adjacent one said wall for supporting one end portion of said agitating means, winding means connected to said flexible agitating elements adjacent the opposite said wall, power actuating means for rotating said winding means alternatingly in opposite directions, thereby alternatingly drawing-in and paying-out said flexible agitating means, thus moving said agitating means up and down in said body of liquid, and control mean-s for automatically reversing said actuating means at the end of each upward and downward movement thereof.

8. In a horizontal throughflow type of liquid treatment tank having walls, an agitating apparatus which comprises flexible agitating means extending in a body of liquid in the tank between opposite walls thereof, supporting means adjacent one said end wall for supporting one end portion of said agitating means, a cross bar attached to the other end of said flexible agitating means, flexible draft means extending from said cross bar, winding means connected to said draft means adjacent the opposite said wall, comprising a horizontally extending shaft member mounted for rotation, to which said draft means are connected, and actuating means for rotating said shaft member alternatingly in opposite directions thereby aletrnatingly drawing-in and paying-out said draft means, thus moving said agitating means up and down in said body of liquid.

9. The apparatus according -to claim 8, wherein said draft means comprise a pair of linear draft elements.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said winding means comprise a pair of winding members mounted on said shaft member, with said linear draft elements attached to said winding members.

11. In a horizontal throughflow type of liquid treatment tank having walls, an agitating apparatus which comprises a first flexible agitating means, a second flexible agitating means, both said agitating means extending in a body of liquid in the tank between opposite walls thereof, supporting means adjacent one end wall for supporting one end portion of both said agitating means, separate cross bars attached to the other end of respective flexible agitating means, flexible draft means extending from each respective cross bar, winding means adjacent the opposite said wall, comprising a horizontally extending shaft member mounted for rotation to which respective draft means are connected in such a manner that rotation of said shaft member in one direction will wind up one of said draft means while unwinding the other draft means, and vice versa, and actuating means for rotating said shaft member alternatingly in opposite directions, thereby alternatingly drawing-in and paying-out the respective sets of rope elements, thus moving respective agitating means up and down in said body of liquid in alternation with respect to one another.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, with the addition of means for automatically reversing the rotation of said shaft member after a predetermined number of revolutions in each direction.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said respective flexible agitating means comprise parallel linear elements consisting of flat strip material, with clamping means provided for fastening the respective ends of said linear elements to respective cross bars.

14. In a horizontal throughflow type of liquid treatment tank having walls, agitating apparatus which comprises flexible agitating means extending in a body of liquid in the tank between opposite walls thereof, supporting means for supporting one end portion of said agitating means in a fixed position at the top of one said wall, and operating means connected to the other end of said flexible agitating means adjacent to the opposite said wall, constructed and arranged for moving said agitating means up and down in said body of liquid in the tank.

15. The agitating apparatus according to claim 14, with the addition that weighting means are attached to said flexible agitating means spaced from the fixed end of said agitating means a distance eifective to cause said flexible agitating means to substantially conform to the tank when in down position.

16. The agitating apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said flexible agitating means are in the form of of parallel ribbon elements.

17. The agitating apparatus according to claim 14,

8 wherein said flexible agitating means are in the form of parallel ribbon elements with a transverse weighting bar attached thereto.

18. In a horizontal throughfiow type of liquid treatment tank having walls, agitating apparatus which comprise fiexible agitating means extending in a body of liquid in the tank between opposite walls thereof, and adapted to assume catenary configuration, supporting means adjacent one said wall for supporting one end portion of said agitating means, winding means mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said agitating means adjacent the wall opposite to said one wall, flexible draft means having one end connected to said winding means, means for operativeiy connecting the other end of the draft means to the other end portion of said agitating means, so that when said winding means are rotated in one direction, said agitating means are raised, and when rotated in the opposite direction, said agitating means are lowered.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 118,030 8/1871 Lovegrove 259-141 FOREIGN PATENTS 82,721 2/ 1919 Switzerland.

IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Examiner.

R. W. JENKINS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A HORIZONTAL THROUGHFLOW TYPE OF LIQUID TREATMENT TANK HAVING WALLS, AGITATING APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES FLEXIBLE AGITATING MEANS EXTENDING IN BODY OF LIQUID THE TANK BETWEEN OPPOSITE WALLS THEREOF, SUPPORTING MEANS ADJACENT ONE SAID WALL FOR SUPPORTNG ONE END PORTION OF SAID AGITATING MEANS, AND OPERATING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID FLEXIBLE AGITATING MEANS ADJACENT TO THE OPPOSITE SAID WALL FOR ALTERNATELY DRAWING-IN AND PAYING-OUT SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS, THUS MOVING SAID AGITATING MEANS UP AND DOWN IN SAID BODY OF LIQUID. 